Vampire
Vampires are mythical beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence (usually blood) of living creatures. In folkloric tales, vampires often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deaths in the neighborhood they inhabited when they were alive. Characteristics Having existed in legend and folklore for so long, vampires have been perceived in a variety of ways over the centuries. Since the 18th century, vampires have primarily been depicted as malevolent humanoid beings that seek power and control over mortal men, enthralling innocents by draining their blood and making them susceptible to their commands. While vampires normally appear human, they have elongated fangs for puncturing the necks of their victims, draining the blood from there. Some vampires develop feral, animalistic expressions when caught in battle or while they are feeding. Because vampires are undead, they have no true life force of their own, hence why they are forced to feed on living blood. The reasoning behind their blood dependency varies between their different iterations; some vampire types with origins more grounded in the realm of science feed on the blood of others because their own blood cannot sustain haemoglobin whereas the more classical types of vampire feed on blood due to being cursed or simply because they are villainous beings who delight in killing and dominating others. Powers and Abilities *'Enhanced Senses' - Vampires are usually portrayed as having extremely keen senses that are superior to those of humans. These undead possess remarkable hearing and a strong sense of smell. and are capable of tracking blood over long distances. *'Immortality'- Vampires can potentially live forever. They never age, are immune to disease and disability, and will die only by violent means. *'Enhanced Agility' - Certain lore bestows vampires with amazing agility, stating that they can climb vertical surfaces and jump from the tallest buildings without hurting themselves upon landing. They are also portrayed in the modern era as having reflexes faster than those of any human. *'Night Vision' - Vampires can traditionally see in the dark. *'Shape-Shifting'- Recent Western stories state that vampires can transform into mist, bats, crows, owls, moths, rats, cats, foxes, and wolves. *'Superhuman strength'- Vampires are far stronger than humans, and can lift 1 to 2,5 tons. *'Superhuman speed'- Vampires speed is greater than humans. *'Weather Manipulation'- high level Vampires can manipulate the weather. *'Hypnosis'- Vampires can hypnotize humans to their will *'Telepathy'- Vampires can read the thoughts of a human being *'Telekinesis'- Vampires can move objects with their mind *'Supernatural Regeneration'- Vampires can heal from wounds and disabilities. Wounds from bullets and crossbows have little effect on them. *'Wall-crawling'- Vampires can adhere to sheer surfaces *'Vampirization'- Vampires can convert humans to Vampires Weaknesses *'Silver' - Silver burns vampires on contact in some tales. *'Decapitation' - Vampires, much like humans, can be killed by cutting off their head. *'Cross '- In many stories, particularly ones from predominantly Christian countries, the image of the cross will frighten vampires and/or will burn them if touched by one. *'Heart Removal '- When the heart of the vampire is removed they will die, although some stories state that a vampire may remove its own heart and hide it elsewhere, in order to avoid this fate. *'Fire '- Vampires are as vulnerable to fire as humans. *'Sunlight '- A vampire can be killed by the sun's rays. Certain types of vampires are immune to the sun. *'Impaling The Heart'- Destroying the heart (e.g. a wooden stake to the heart) is a traditional way to kill vampires. *'Holy Water '- Holy water burns a vampire's skin like acid, if it believes in a Christian God. *'Holy Ground '- Vampires cannot set foot on holy ground (for example, land consecrated by a priest). Again, this may vary depending on the belief system of the vampire, and the mythology it belongs to. *'Invitation: '''Several vampires stories state that they are unable to enter a dwelling without invitation from the owner. *'Garlic '- In many stories, vampires are repulsed by garlic; the reasons for this are unknown. *'Moonstone''' - In some tales, moonstone has a negative affect on vampires. Modernisation As with virtually everything taken from misunderstood cultures, the Westernisation of old European folk stories means that what is written above may be untrue. On the other hand, it may all be true . . . See Also * Kindred, vampires from the White Wolf universe. * Vampires, the not-quite bloodsuckers from I Am Legend. * Vampires, the creatures who haunt the Northern Wastes in 30 Days of Night. Category:Undead Category:Vampires Category:Intelligent Creatures Category:Immortal Beings Category:Shapeshifting Creatures Category:Humanoids Category:Monsters in Literature Category:Monster Archetypes Category:Legendary Creatures Category:European Creatures Category:Movie Monsters Category:Monsters in Television